Street-railway signaling system.



No.`684,952. Patented Oct. 2 2, |901. AJ. .1. Hunolck & cyE. RAND. STREET RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

medreb. 27, 1899.) (No Model.)

2' Sliets-$heet I.

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JW HW 'No.l6`84,952. v Patented Oct. 22, |90l. J. J. RUDDICK C. E. RAND.

STREET RAILWAY SVIGNALING SYSTEM.

(Applcatiqn filed Feb. 27, 1899.) (No Model.) v

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E nomas PETERS ca. Puorammo.. wAsrlmcfoN D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. RUDDICK AND CHARLES E. RAND, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND NEYVTON' I-IIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-RAILWAY SIG NALING SYSTEM SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,952, dated October 22, 1901.

Application filed February 27, 1899. Serial No. 706.929 @T mdel To all whom it Harry concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J. RUDDICK and CHARLES E. RAND, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,have

invented an Improvement in Street-Railway Signaling Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Our invention is an improvement in railway-signals, being particularly adapted for ltrolley-lines, such as are commonly used for street-railways, although it is not restricted thereto.

The details of construction and operation of our invention will be pointed out in the course of the following description, and the invention will be more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a diagram matic View showing a portion of track in plan for convenience in explaining our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of one of the signal mechanisms, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5

is a transverse section of one of the trolleycontacts. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the 3o method of operation.

Referring to Fig. l, a, designates the main track, along which are usual turnouts a a2, between which, it will be understood, is one block of our block-signal system, and the sig- 3 5 nal mechanisms will be conveniently located,

as at station l and station 2, these mechanisms being operated by suitable contacts, herein indicated at as, for the trolley to engage.

At the stations 1, 2, dac., are the signalboxes, (shown in Figs. 2 to 4 at Z9,) each box containing two sets of electromagnets Z9 Z92, which are affected every time a trolley passes under a contact a3, the electromagnets Z9 serv- 4; ing to attract an armature-lever b2, pivoted at 53X to a bracket Z94 in the bottom of the box, and the electromagnets Z92 serving to attract similar armatures Z95, likewise pivoted in the bottom of the box.l The armature Z9'` carries a gravity-pawl Z96 at its upper end, provided with a hook Z91, arranged to engage a ratchet-wheel Z98, fast on a shaft Z92, journaled in the sides of the box, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The armature Z95 carries a pushpawl Z910, arranged to engage a ratchet Z912, likewise fast on the shaft Z911, and at some convenient place, herein shown as just beyond the ratchet Z912, is a dwell-wheel Z912, engaged by a detent or friction lever Z911, pivoted at (915 to the side of the box and held down by a spring Z916, regulated by a thumb-nut Z911, operating against a bracket Z912, this dwell serving to prevent accidental or undue movement of the ratchets. Also on said shaft is mounted a circuit-making device, shown as a disk Z912, having a metallic contact-surface Z920 to engage two spring-contacts Z921, so that as long as the spring-arms Z921 are in engagement with the contact Z920 the signal (which may be an incandescent light of suitable color) will glow, whereaswhen the arms Z921 are in the air-gap Z922 the circuit will be broken and the signal will not glow. Each armature-lever is operated in a direction contrary to the electromagnets by a spring s, held by a threaded bolt Z923 and regulated by a thumbscrew Z924, operating against a bracket 525, and

yis regulated as to the length of its throw or stroke by a set-screw Z926. The armature Z93 is provided with a pin Z927, which serves to complete the connection between two contact-springs Z122, mounted adjacent the spring Z921, but extending in an opposite direction. The trolley-contact a3 is shown in detail in Fig. 5, and comprises ametallic hood a5, having diverging wings a, flaring at their ends a7, in order to receive the trolley-wheel w rigidly and certainly.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the wiring and manner of operating our improved box-signal system will be clearly understood, the magnets and box mechanism being indicated for each end of the block and the track and trolley feed-wire or source of current-supply f being indicated with a car kand its trolley in usual position between the two.

The circuit of the electromagnets b is com- Apletedl by wires fr r', leading, respectively, to the contact as and to the feed-Wiref.

The lamp' or signal circuit (the lamp or signal beingindicated at fm) is as follows: `A yvire r2 taps the feed-wire and connects with one of the springs 2921and from the other spring b21 a wire r3 leads to the electromagvnets b2, and thence a wire r4 connects with one of the springs 528, and from the other spring Z728 a wire 115 connects to the signal m and thence to the rail t or ground.

In view of the above explanation the operation of our invention will be readily understood.

As the car proceeds along the track from left to right, we will suppose, as the trolley comes into contact with the hood at c3 it thereby energizes the electromagnets b', which attract the armature hand through the hook bl rotates the ratchet-wheel bs and its shaft b9, so as to engage the ends of the springs b21 with the contact h2o, thereby completing the lamp-circuit and setting the signalm at danger. As the car continues and reaches the end of the block at the position indicated at the right, Fig. 6, it again completes the circuit by engagement of its trolley with the contact c3, and this time as it energizes the electrolnagnets b of the right-hand box or outgoing end of the block the movement of the armature b3 toward the electromagnets carries the pin Z227 out of engagement with the springs 528 and instantly breaks the circuit, which includes the electromagnets b2 of the first signal-box and the box at the incoming end of the block, and thereby permits the armature b5 thereof to be moved forward by its spring s, and as this armature carries the push-pawlb10 the result is that the shaft b9 is reversely rotated one notch by the engageu ment of said pawl with the ratchet-Wheel 1912. This restores the Wheel bw to its original position, as shown in Fig. 3, and carries the contact b2@ thereof out of engagement with the springs b21, so that the circuit including them is broken and the signal m restored to safety. If now instead of having the block occupied by one car only, let it be supposed that a series of cars-six, for instance-are permitted to enter the block before any leaves the block. It will be evident that as each car enters the block it will energize the electromagnets b of the entrance signal-box at the left-hand end of the block, so that the shaft bf will be turned over to the left six notches by the action of the hooked pawl h6, and as these cars leave the block they will successively operate the shaft b9 of said entrancebox one notch at a time in a reverse direction until when the last car leaves the shaft b9 will have been rotated over to the right the same siX notches, thereby leaving the parts in their original position and restoring the right-hand signal to safety again.

. While we have shown and described our invention in all the details of its preferred embodiment, we wish it understood that We are in no Wise limited to its details, inasmuch as many changes and modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of our invention. i

Our invention therefore comprises in its broadest aspect a block-signaling system Vfor railways including two independent circuits'` each having a magnet therein and one of said circuits having in addition asignal del vice and a contact-maker, combined with a step-by-step device operated, respectively, by the armatures of the two magnets in opposite directions, and means operated by a car entering the block to momentarily close one of said circuits-to Wit, the one which has not the signal device therein.

The invention herein illustrated comprises a block-signal system including a signal-eircuit having a magnet therein and a signal device, said signal-circuit being provided with normally open and normally closed contacts, the normally closed contacts being between the pin Z927 on armature b3 and the spring b2 and the normally open contacts being between the two spring-plates or contactpieces b21. Means are also provided to close the normally open contacts as a car passes -into the block, whereby the signal device is operated and the magnet in said signal-circuit is energized, and'to open the normally closed contacts as the car passes out from the block, whereby the Asignal device is restored to safety and the magnet in the signal-circuit is denergized, the denergizing of the magnet operating to restore the normally open contacts to their normal condition.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a block-signal system, a series of signal-operating devices, one of said devices being at each block, and each device comprising two armatures, magnets for operating said armatures, said magnets being in independent circuits, a signal in one of said circuits, a step-by-step device operated respectively by said armatures, a contact-maker in the signal-circuit operated by said step-bystep device, and means to momentarily close the other of said circuits and energize the magnet therein when a car enters the block, and to open the signal-circuit when a car leaves the block, whereby as a car enters any block, the contact-maker in the signal-circuit for that block is operated to close the said signal-circuit, said circuit remaining closed until the car leaves the block, when the said circuit is opened.

2. In a block-signal system, a series of signal-operating devices, one of said devices being situated at each block, each of said devices comprising two armatures, magnets for operating said armatures, said magnets being in independent circuits, a signal in one of said circuits, a step-by-step device operated in alternate directions by said arma- IOO tures respectively, a contact-maker in the signal-circuit operated by said step-by-step device, means operated by a car entering the block to close the other of said circuits,where by the magnet therein is energized, and the contact-maker operated to close the signalcircuit, means operated by said last-named magnet when energized to open the signalcircuit of the block from which the car has just passed.

3. A signal mechanism comprising a plurality of armatures, electromagnets for operating the same, feed mechanisms operated respectively by said armatures and in opposite directions, a contact-maker actuated by said feed mechanisms, a signal-circuit controlled by said contact-maker, a second signal-circuit including one of said armatures, and a make-and-break device for said last-mentioned circuit operated by the movement of the armature of one of said electromagnets, substantially as described.

4. A signal mechanism, comprising two armatures, electromagnets for operating the same, and two pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms operated respectively by said armatures and in opposite directions, a contact-maker actuated by said pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms,A

and a signal-circuit controlled by said contact-maker, a second signal-circuit including one of said armatures, and a make-and-break device for said last-mentioned circuit operated by the movement of the armatures of one of said electromagnets, substantially as described.

5. In a signal mechanism comprising two armatures, electromagnets for Operating the same, and two pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms operated respectively by said armatures and in opposite directions, a contact-maker actuated by said pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms, a signal-circuit controlled by said contactmaker, said circuit including a visual signal and also one of said magnets.

6. A signal mechanism comprising two ar matures, electromagnets for operating the same, one armature carrying a push-pawl and the other armature carrying a pull-pawl, a ratchet-wheel for each of said pawls, a con tact-maker operated by said ratchet-Wheels, an electric signal-circuit including a visual signal and two independent contacts to be engaged by said contactmaker, said circuit 7. In a block-signal system for railways,-

two electromagnets each having an armature, said magnets being in independent circuits, one of said circuits including a signal device, means operated by a car entering a block to momentarily close the other of said circuits, a step-by-step device operated respectively by said armatures in opposite directions, and a contact-maker in the signal-circuit, said contact-maker being actuated by said stepby-step device.

8. In a block-signal system, a signal-circuit including an electromagnet and a visual-signal device, said circuit having normally open and normally closed contacts, means to close said normally open contacts as a car passes into the block, said contacts remaining closed until the car passes out of vthe block, whereby the magnet is energized and the signal device displayed, and means to open said normally closed contacts when the car leaves the block, the breaking of the circuit denergiz'- ing the magnet, and means controlled by said magnet for restoring the normally open contacts to their normal condition when the magnet is denergized.

9. In a block-signal system, a signal-circuit including an electromagnet and a visual-signal device,- said circuit having normally open and normally closed contacts, means to close said normally open contacts as a car passes into the block, the said contacts remaining closed until the car passes out of the block, whereby the magnet is energized and the signal device is displayed, means to momentarily open said normally closed contacts when a car leaves the block, the breaking of the circuit momentarily denergizing the magnet, and means controlled by said magnet for restoring the normally open contacts to their open condition when the last car has left the block.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOI-IN J. RUDDICK. CHARLES E. RAND.

Witnesses:

E. H. GREENWOOD, M. L. GOODWIN. 

